Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson talked about what he liked from practice on Friday and what he wants to see from his team on Saturday.
Hattiesburg American

Southern Miss head coach Jay Hopson speaks to defensive back Picasso Nelson Jr. after a drill exercise during the teams last week of fall camp on Monday, August 20, 2018. (Photo11: Susan Broadbridge/Hattiesburg American)

HATTIESBURG — While the battles at quarterback, running back and receiver have attracted all the attention this fall camp, perhaps the most pressing competition for the Southern Miss football team is what the Golden Eagles are going to do in the secondary.

USM has more bodies to replace in the defensive backfield than any other position group in 2018, with departed seniors Tavarius Moore, Cornell Armstrong, Jomez Applewhite, Curtis Mikell and Kelsey Douglas representing all nine of the team's interceptions from a year ago, and 36 of the squad's 52 pass breakups. The Golden Eagles do return Picasso Nelson Jr., who missed 2017 after intercepting four passes and breaking up 12 in 39 games between 2014-16. But outside of Nelson, USM's secondary will be one of the more inexperienced groups on the field.

A problem with which coach Jay Hopson seems to have already reckoned.

"Last year Curtis had never started, now he's in the NFL," Hopson said. "Jomez, he had a great year last year. He had never started. I think Tavarius had never started, he's a third-round pick of the 49ers. I think this group, we're not as young there. Ernest [Gunn] has been in games. Rachaun [Mitchell] has played... We've got a blend of age which I think has been big."

Two of Southern Miss' standout performers in the secondary this fall have been junior college transfers, proving that the Golden Eagles' defensive backfield is less young than it is inexperienced. Hopson has described cornerback Ty Williams and safety Ky'el Hemby as two of the best junior college prospects in the country from last year, and both have competed immediately for playing time.

After USM's second scrimmage of the fall Saturday, Hopson said Hemby was the standout, asserting that he showed "some NFL stuff." Hemby describes himself as an aggressive tackler and a fast runner who has improved in coverage but still has a little ways to go before he'd call it a strength. More than anything, Hemby said he takes pride in how hard he can come downfield and hit, a trait he learned by watching his idols Ed Reed and Sean Taylor play their "nasty" brand of football.

Hemby said he's learned coordinator Tim Billings' defensive scheme quickly and has even begun teaching it to some of his fellow newcomers. Along with redshirt freshman Shannon Showers, Hemby received most of the starting reps at safety on Monday coming out of the scrimmage, seemingly solidifying his spot in the competition.

Williams, on the other hand, has been starting for most of fall camp at one of Southern Miss' cornerback spots. A fast and shifty cornerback listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Williams has also taken to the defensive playbook quickly, and has drawn rave reviews from Hopson.

"When I look at guys like Ty Williams coming in at corner, Ty is going to be playing in the NFL," Hopson said at USM Media Day. "I’m sure."

Still, Williams sees no value in being hyped up. The junior cited one of Hopson's favorite phrases as a way of explaining why he thinks he's thriving while competing agains the other young, inexperienced members of USM's secondary.

"If you know you’re the man, you just can’t say it without backing it up," Williams said. "You’ve got to put it on tape. Everything you do you’ve got to put it on tape. When you put it on tape, that’s your money right there."